Who's your king?

Warren Brosi

10/13/24

Dominant Thought: Our exalted King reigns over the rulers of the earth.

Objectives:

I want my listeners to understand Christ is our King.

I want my listeners to feel inspired to embrace Christ’s kingdom values.

I want my listeners to choose Christ’s reign over any other allegiance in the world.

The election of 1824, the same year our church was coming to life here in Illinois, featured four presidential candidates from the same party: John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, and Henry Clay. According to Encyclopedia Britannica:

The 1824 election was the first in which a large majority of electors were chosen by voters rather than by appointment by state legislatures. Calling what ensued a “campaign” might be an overstatement, however, because the candidates did not actively campaign on their own behalf. Rather, advocates of the candidates mobilized to spread the word and turn out their base of supporters. When the votes were tallied, Jackson received more than 150,000 votes, while Adams finished second with some 108,000. Clay and Crawford were a distant third and fourth, respectively, in the popular vote (https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1824).

According the the twelfth amendment of the U.S. Constitution at the time, since no one won a majority of the electors (131 needed), then the House of Representatives would cast a vote among the top three finishers. Henry Clay, Speaker of the House, was fourth and was eliminated from the vote, but may have featured prominently in the results. As Speaker of the House, he presided over the vote in February 9, 1825. He was not a fan of either Andrew Jackson or William Crawford. So, it appears he may have thrown his support to John Quincy Adams who won the vote (13 states to 7 states for Jackson, and 4 states for Crawford) and was inaugurated the sixth president of the United States. Three days after the inauguration, Henry Clay, was appointed as Secretary of State. Jackson accepted the results, but once he saw Adams appoint Clay to the Secretary of State, he called it a “corrupt bargain.”

So, as we move to the hoped for conclusion of this election cycle, we can see how our church was birthed in a controversial election year. As we move into days leading up the the general election, I’ve come here today to share with you this truth, Our exalted King reigns over the rulers of the earth. Jesus is our king and will be our king no matter what happens in November. To help align our allegiance to our King, I’ve chosen to anchor our time in Psalm 47.

As we look at Psalm 47, we find two images of our King. First, our King is on the throne. Second, the shields of the earth belong to our King.

First, Our King is on the throne (Psalm 47.8).

In Psalm 47, we see several images of our King. In Psalm 47.2, He is called, “The LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.” In Psalm 47.5, the central theme verse of the entire Psalm, we read, “God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.” In Psalm 47.6, four times the congregation is instructed to “sing praises to our King.” In Psalm 47.8, God is seated on His holy throne.

One of the clearest pictures of God is our king. He rules on the throne. His throne is holy and over all the earth.

Tim Keller was interviewed by Carey Nieuwhof and Tim encouraged the church to be sold out to four values. “When Tim reads the Bible, he sees these 4 things clearly: Christians ought to be sold out for racial justice. Christians should be deeply concerned about the poor. Christians should be pro-life. Christians should believe that, at least for Christians, sex should only be between a man and woman in marriage (See: https://careynieuwhof.com/episode339/).”

Here’s another way to summarize kingdom values:

1—Our king values life. Everyone is created in the image of God. Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.””

This value affects how you relate to the bully at school, your best friend, your neighbor, and how you view the nations as we talk about immigrants. Since we are created in God’s image, then life has value at all stages and all ages and people of all races in all places. Our king values life.

Revelation 7:9–10 gives an example of all nations before the throne “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!””

In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenged the people even against anger and name calling against their brother or sister. He warned those who cursed their fellow mankind with the fire of hell (Matthew 5.22). Later, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your father in heaven....If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5.43-48).

2—Our king values justice. Throughout Scripture, we have instructions to care for widows, orphans, and foreigners. Deuteronomy 10:17–19 (ESV), “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”

Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands His followers to “give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5.42). Later he commands kingdom followers to store up treasures in heaven instead of here on earth.

3-Our king values marriage between one man and one woman. In Matthew 19:4–6 (ESV), “He[Jesus] answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.””

In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs His followers against lust and divorce because He wants healthy families (Matthew 5.28, 32).

Second, The Shields of the Earth belong to our King (Psalm 47.9).

The New International Version interprets the word “shield” in Psalm 47.9 as “kings.” Their version reads, “for the kings of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.” In the ancient world and today, we value shields. In the ancient world, when you went into battle you wanted a shield. Maybe it was made of wood or some type of leather. It was in all different shapes and sizes. Some would have had some or all metal depending on availability. A king was also described as a shield against danger. God is called a shield. Psalm 33:20 (ESV), “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.”

In these seasons of elections, people are seeking a shield in their political leaders. Many people look to governing leaders to shield them from economic hardships, health scares, and natural disasters. Notice what Psalm 47 says, “The shields/kings of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.” No matter who wins this upcoming election, That elected official belongs to God.

During the Last Supper Jesus had with His disciples, Jesus teaches them about the different between the kings of the earth and the members of His kingdom. We read about it in Luke 22:24–30,

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Jesus calls the members of His kingdom to serve. My friend Brian Jennings, shared on a podcast and summarized his thoughts in an article, both titled, “Love your neighbor politically.” Here’s the link to the article: https://www.brianjenningsblog.com/love-your-neighbor-politically/. He highlights several ways to love your neighbor politically. Here are a few of his suggestions:

1-Engage before you contend. Learn about the issues. Talk to people involved before sharing your thoughts.

2-Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1.19).

3-Quit yelling at the opposite extremes. Another way to say it is to look for common ground with those of different opinions.

4-Reject simple answers to complex issues.

5-Love your enemies. That was the message of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount we read earlier and it was found on his lips as He was dying on a cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23.34).

In fact the charge that sent Jesus to cross? The Jewish leaders accused Jesus before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king” (Luke 23.2).

Matthew Stafford shared the following in a blog from January 15, 2024:

Throughout biblical history, God has directed the hearts of kings to do his will. He softened the heart of the Egyptian pharaoh in Joseph’s day to favor God’s people. Then He hardened the heart of another pharaoh in Moses’ day who showed them contempt. God humbled the Syrian general Naaman and the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, and although “pagans”, they each became witnesses to His greatness. God moved the Persian King Cyrus to return the Jewish captives to their homeland, and He used a decree of Caesar Augustus to move a young couple from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the city of David, to fulfill a prophecy of the messiah’s birth there. The actions of King Herod would send the infant messiah to live in Egypt, fulfilling another prophecy, and the words of a Roman procurator would condemn that same messiah to death on a cross, ultimately fulfilling God’s mission to offer salvation to the world. (https://www.mattstaffordpsalms.com/blog/the-shields-of-the-earth-belong-to-god)

“The shields of the earth belong to God” (Psalm 47.9). The leaders thought they had won. However, three days later, Jesus rose from the dead. 40 days later, Jesus ascended on high. After the ascension of Jesus, the church starting singing Psalm 47 to celebrate our ascended King Jesus. Our exalted King reigns over the rulers of the earth.

Next week, we’ll begin a study through Revelation. From the first chapter of Revelation to near the end, we see Jesus reigning over the kings of the earth. In Revelation 1:4–5, we read, “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.”

In Revelation 21:23–24, we read about the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.”

So, no matter who is elected the next president of our country. Whether another corrupt bargain is rumored, take heart that Jesus, our king will still be on the throne.

For more resources, check out the following:

Forum on Cultural Engagement at Ozark Christian College (March 12, 2024), “A Public Witness of Compassion and Conviction” by Justin Giboney. https://www.youtube.com/live/7s-53QpjoBQ?si=oZ4t9qY-1fyjUeQS

Interview with N.T. Wright by Carey Nieuwhof discussing Wright’s recent book, Jesus and the Powers. “Leading through the Election and how the Gospel is Political,” September 5, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/live/7s-53QpjoBQ?si=oZ4t9qY-1fyjUeQS

“Love your Neighbor Politically” on the Echo Podcast. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cjw7KC7A3zS70an76LMFu. Here’s the link to the article that summarizes the podcast: https://www.brianjenningsblog.com/love-your-neighbor-politically/